Tool for avatar positioning

[Sagadin]

Hi!

I am having a bit of trouble with avatar positioning for photos and was wondering what others do to solve this problem. The problem is putting my avi someplace exact relative to the objects around in the sim when I am in some pose or other. I'd like, for example, to be able to sit on the edge of a rock but find that if I use a pose and then move around with the arrow keys I can't get very precise positioning. The movement keys seem to have a minimum amount they will move unlike the camera controls which are much more precise. And this is not to mention the problem with moving relative to more solid objects that won't let me get quite close enough to make contact.

I can get vertical positioning pretty good using the hover height slider in Firestorm, but horizontal positioning is hit or miss. Is there some tool, or some native Firestorm controls I missed, that can take an avatar in some arbitrary pose and move it around wherever you want?

Thanks!

[norajulian]

The AnyPose tool is a god-send. You can use it to modify poses you have or create your own.

[Sagadin]

13 minutes ago, norajulian said:

The AnyPose tool is a god-send. You can use it to modify poses you have or create your own.

Thanks for the tip, I will have to try the demo. I was hoping maybe to find something a little cheaper perhaps... Might there be a tool just for positioning an avatar without all of the adjustments to the pose itself (even though those would no doubt be useful!)?

[Lillith Hapmouche]

AnyPose is extremely helpful to edit details of a pose ... however, for such positioning adjustments as described I find it too detailed.

// EDIT: Stupid me, I was focusing on the Animare Pose & Animation System. 
Anyway...

Have you tried to work with a posestand with a hide option or even a simple poseball (script for a DIY version / empty one )? Drop your animation into the object content, hop on and position the object for the best effect.

In case of the poseball, you'll have to go into edit mode (ctrl+3) and select the ball before you sit on it. Then you can literally move yourself around on that ball.

Edited September 19, 2017 by Lillith Hapmouche
me stupid

[Sagadin]

Thanks Lillith!  I will give Animare and the links for pose balls a try! I do agree that too much complexity in a tool makes it harder to use, especially if it has an unwieldy HUD that blocks too much of the scene.

My only concern about pose stands and pose balls is that they require rez rights in the sim (don't they?) and many sims seem to be setup without them, for obvious reasons of their owners not wanting to pick up the trash after visitors.

[Madelaine McMasters]

Avatar posing tools cannot set the position/rotation of your avatar, they can only move bones relative to your avatar's current position. You can, however, move your avatar freely about using the viewer. Go to the "Developer" menu and select Avatar->Character Tests->Allow Select Avatar to enable/disable that ability. After that, open the edit window and then right-click on your avatar. You'll see the standard movement axes, along which you can drag your avatar. Holding the Control key gives you the standard rotation circles.

Enabling avatar selection and wearing something like the AnyPose HUD (which only needs to rez a pose ball if you want avatar position/rotation ability) should get you where you want to go.

ETA: You must already have the edit window open to select your avatar, you can't just right-click it and go. You must also be careful not to use the standard avatar movement keys, as they'll cancel your edit repositioning.

Edited September 19, 2017 by Madelaine McMasters

[Sagadin]

Awesome, that's kind of what I was looking for -- a quick and dirty hack!

ETA: This does still require a pose adjustment HUD. Yes, that's what you said I can see now... Without it I can only move around some placeholder for a few scripts....

ETA some more: after playing around a bit, the Anypose HUD by itself does let me move my avi about. Enabling Avatar->Character Tests->Allow Select Avatar only lets me select a place holder for some scripts like "alpha cuts listener" "attributes listener" ... and doesn't select the whole avi even with the Anypose HUD attached. Does your advice only work for a "standard" non-mesh body? 

Edited September 19, 2017 by Sagadin

[Madelaine McMasters]

2 hours ago, Sagadin said:

Awesome, that's kind of what I was looking for -- a quick and dirty hack!

ETA: This does still require a pose adjustment HUD. Yes, that's what you said I can see now... Without it I can only move around some placeholder for a few scripts....

ETA some more: after playing around a bit, the Anypose HUD by itself does let me move my avi about. Enabling Avatar->Character Tests->Allow Select Avatar only lets me select a place holder for some scripts like "alpha cuts listener" "attributes listener" ... and doesn't select the whole avi even with the Anypose HUD attached. Does your advice only work for a "standard" non-mesh body? 

The AnyPose HUD moves/rotates your avatar if you've rezzed a pose ball and hopped on it. If you use "Live" posing, which does not require rez rights, you must use the edit method of moving/rotating the avatar. I have a classic avatar, but don't think mesh would make a difference.

Edited September 19, 2017 by Madelaine McMasters

[Sagadin]

Oh I see, thanks! 

[Talligurl]

if you use a poseball, you can click edit on the ball, then while still in edit sit on the pose, then move the poseball and you move with it. I have a pose that was sold as a pose for flying through the air as a superhero, but which i have used several times to make myself climbing a ladder just by changing the angle and using it to place myself on the ladder itself.

 

[Sagadin]

Thanks Talli! Now I gotta find some gorgeous sims that let me rez stuff...

[siobhina]

On 9/19/2017 at 7:41 PM, Madelaine McMasters said:

You can, however, move your avatar freely about using the viewer. Go to the "Developer" menu and select Avatar->Character Tests->Allow Select Avatar to enable/disable that ability. After that, open the edit window and then right-click on your avatar. You'll see the standard movement axes, along which you can drag your avatar. Holding the Control key gives you the standard rotation circles.

Enabling avatar selection and wearing something like the AnyPose HUD (which only needs to rez a pose ball if you want avatar position/rotation ability) should get you where you want to go.

ETA: You must already have the edit window open to select your avatar, you can't just right-click it and go. You must also be careful not to use the standard avatar movement keys, as they'll cancel your edit repositioning.

This was very helpful, after trying desperately to find that perfect camera angle I had and having forgotten to LM the exact spot, thanks! However SL throws yet another problem: I am able to move my avi while first opening the edit mode in the HUD and then clicking my body but it won't stay there long, it will be yanked to the place where I was standing first. So I'm wondering is there a way to make it stay where I move it to? Rezzing a poseball is not really an option for me in that place. Also the rotation is not working, the numbers change but the avi won't rotate. Somebody help!!

[Fionalein]

space bar!

as silly as it sounds ... seriously: try walking with spacebar pressed  it is SL's fine positioning system

Edited September 19, 2018 by Fionalein

[Jackson Redstar]

Try the Animare HUD The center position betwen the hips (called hip) moves the avi on its axis. BUT, this may well depend on what you are sitting on it the animation is higher priority

[Orwar]

   Post is from last year, guys. I think Sagadin got it by now. 

[Fionalein]

1 hour ago, Orwar said:

   Post is from last year, guys. I think Sagadin got it by now. 

But it is an recurring problem for those new. So posting solutions might be of use to future readers.

[LittleMe Jewell]

There are times when it is definitely okay and helpful to revive old threads to add new info -- and IMO this is one such issue, especially since the original thread is only a year old.

Edited September 21, 2018 by LittleMe Jewell

[Jackson Redstar]

here is a method that will work if you are in a no rezz zone and cant use pose balls or anything, I often use this with models. You could use an  alt to move 'you'

You need to be able to edit their objects to do this, Once you have permissions if you click on them to 'edit' you can now move the avi as an object. Rotating can be done as well but it can get a bit sticky. and if the avi you are moving talks in local or does anything like add something the position will reset. Also, "you' or the avi you are moving like this will not see themselves being moved, so if you are doing this to yourself via an alt, the alt will have to be the one who takes the photo. and to properly select the avi and not a object on the avi, use shift ctrl alt 9 to derender all objects. that way the root avi will be visible making the selection possible

 

[Wulfie Reanimator]

Somehow no one's mentioned Black Dragon, THE most graphical viewer with its own built-in pose editor that is as accurate as an external pose editor unlike AnyPose which has preset animations. (Plus it can be used to create full animations, not just static poses.) It even has Bento bone support so you can create full expressions inworld.

Edited October 1, 2018 by Wulfie Reanimator

[chaosninja7]

On 10/1/2018 at 7:22 AM, Wulfie Reanimator said:

Somehow no one's mentioned Black Dragon, THE most graphical viewer with its own built-in pose editor that is as accurate as an external pose editor unlike AnyPose which has preset animations. (Plus it can be used to create full animations, not just static poses.) It even has Bento bone support so you can create full expressions inworld.

i'ma look into this? could i get a link to the viewer?

[Wulfie Reanimator]

22 minutes ago, chaosninja7 said:

i'ma look into this? could i get a link to the viewer?

Here is the viewer/developer's official page/blog: https://niranv-sl.blogspot.com (Some screenshots might include nudity.)

Here's the bitbucket/download page: https://bitbucket.org/NiranV/black-dragon-viewer/downloads/

Here's a particularly relevant blog post about the Poser: https://niranv-sl.blogspot.com/2018/06/black-dragon-64x-update-318.html (has a video demo)

I should also warn you that the viewer is a bit unconventional as far as usability goes, so you should take a while to get used to the controls, interface, features, and such. Don't expect a "Firestorm with more stuff."

Edit: Now that I'm reading the blog posts again to catch up, I think I was mistaken in saying that the animations could be exported. They can definitely be saved within the viewer, but I don't recall if there's an actual exporter or not.

Edited October 2, 2018 by Wulfie Reanimator

[Jackson Redstar]

On 10/1/2018 at 8:22 AM, Wulfie Reanimator said:

Somehow no one's mentioned Black Dragon, THE most graphical viewer with its own built-in pose editor that is as accurate as an external pose editor unlike AnyPose which has preset animations. (Plus it can be used to create full animations, not just static poses.) It even has Bento bone support so you can create full expressions inworld.

BD's poser is great (wonder when FS will implement that") but it doesn't move your avatar into a position

[NiranV Dean]

The poser can move you anywhere as long as it isn't too far from your actual position (allowing more than 20 units would just make it much harder to get the right position you want).

A summary of what the poser can do:

• It can alter all default bones.
• It can alter all "extended" bones (bento).
• It can alter all attachment bones.
• It can alter all collision volumes (shape slider riggings).
• It can rotate all bones.
• It can position all bones that do support it.
• It can scale all bones.
• It can pose animesh.
• It can save/load poses locally.
• It can animate and interpolate between saved poses to create "animations"
• It can animate animesh.
• It has incredible precision in rotating, positioning and scaling.
• It does not require any rezzed object to function, it can be used anywhere, anytime.

 

The two things it can't do (yet):

• Synchronize your pose to others.
• Export animations or poses in a uploadable format.

 

And the one thing i will never be allowed to let it do:

• Use it on other avatars.

 

An example of what the poser can do, fully inworld:

 

Edited October 14, 2018 by NiranV Dean

[Callum Meriman]

Beyond the pose modification, it's a great tool for taking photos. Niran has done so much improving light, shadows, more.

It's hell and gone from Firestorm, but it's very much worth putting in the effort to learn to use it efficiently.

[Nalates Urriah]

Now, since Animesh release and viewers 6.0.1 the edit and right-click to move an avatar, yours or anothers, does not work. 

BUG-225999 - Avatar Selection Doesn't Work - If this is important to you, click and select WATCH.

On the Firestorm side this problem starts in Firestorm 6.0.1 Beta Version. FS 5.1.7 works as expected. FS JIRA https://jira.phoenixviewer.com/browse/FIRE-23399